An engineering company in Cookstown, County Tyrone has announced it is creating 70 new jobs.
TES NI Ltd, which specialises in the design and supply of water treatment facilities, will almost double its workforce in the £2.3m expansion.
The firm was established in 1999 and also produces electrical control panels and switchgear equipment.
Invest Northern Ireland has contributed £420,000 towards the expansion as part of its jobs fund programme.
The new positions will provide additional manufacturing and engineering support, increasing the company’s technical capability as part of an ambitious plan to increase its exports.
‘Small beginnings’
TES started supplying equipment to clients in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, but more recently it has targeted markets in mainland Europe and the Middle East.
Stormont’s Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Arlene Foster, welcomed the announcement during a visit to the company on Thursday.
She said: “TES has grown from small beginnings in the water treatment sector to a position where it is now acting as the lead contractor on major projects.
“Its success has been driven by a focus on exports and on product diversification, which has resulted in a substantial increase in sales.”
Ms Foster said the company had an “ambitious growth plan” and aimed to more than double its turnover within the next three years.
‘Essential support’
The minister added that Invest NI’s contribution would enable TES to recruit additional staff quickly, helping it to take the first steps towards achieving that goal.
Brian Taylor, Managing Director of TES, said his firm had “worked hard to build up relationships with large water companies” in recent years and as a result, had identified sales opportunities.
“The support from Invest NI is essential to allowing us to increase our capacity so that we can service new contracts as they come online,” Mr Taylor added.
TES currently employs 75 staff at two locations in Cookstown – a manufacturing plant at Kilcronagh business park and testing facility at Derryloran industrial estate.
From 2007 – 2009, the firm secured a £250,000 per year maintainance contract with Northern Ireland Water, to repair and upgrade electrical installations at water treatment facilities throughout Northern Ireland.
In 2008, it won a 2.8m euros contract (£2.2m) with Meath County Council to provide a new water supply scheme for the town of Dunshaughlin.